Stockholm hosted the 1912 Summer Olympics, the first Olympic Games held in Sweden.
The Games opened on 6 July 1912 and closed on 22 July. Stockholm was selected by the International Olympic Committee in 1909, giving Sweden its first opportunity to stage the modern Olympics. The competition included athletes from 28 nations and featured more than 2,400 competitors.
The 1912 Olympics introduced several important developments. Electronic timing was used in athletics, and the modern pentathlon made its Olympic debut. The Games also included art competitions, a practice that continued for several decades.
Stockholm is sometimes confused with Helsinki in Olympic history, but Helsinki hosted the Summer Olympics later, in 1952. Stockholm also hosted equestrian events for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics because Australia’s quarantine rules prevented horses from entering the country.